The perpetrator is the Syrian Isa Al H., 26 years old . In recent weeks he lived in a refugee center in Solingen. He arrived in Germany at the end of December 2022, where he applied for asylum in Bielefeld, the dpa news agency reported. It was rejected because, according to the Dublin Regulation, asylum seekers must request asylum from the authorities of the country through which they entered the EU. In the case of Isa Al H. it is Bulgaria.
According to "De Zeit" the Syrian should have been deported to Bulgaria already last year. However, he apparently fled his then residence in Paderborn and is said to have re-appeared before the authorities after his transfer expired. Therefore, the deportation could not be carried out. As he comes from Syria, where his safety cannot be guaranteed, Isa Al H. was granted humanitarian status and was transferred to Solingen.
What evidence is there against Isa Al H.?
It has not yet been proven beyond doubt that the 26-year-old man is the perpetrator of the attack in Solingen, writes "Di Zeit". The investigation continues. North Rhine-Westphalia's interior minister, Herbert Reuhl, said evidence was found on the suspect that he committed the crime. According to the newspaper "Rainische Post" among them is a knife case. "And the knife we found earlier fit perfectly in there."
The knife found near the crime scene had a 15cm blade and was the only weapon used in the attack. The results of the DNA tests on the clothes of the alleged perpetrator, on which traces of blood were found, are about to be released, and they will provide additional clarity, writes the German publication.
What motive did the alleged perpetrator have?
This has not yet been clarified in an indisputable way. The police do not exclude the version of terrorism.
In its statement, the terrorist organization "Islamic State" claimed responsibility for the attack and said the attack was carried out in "revenge for Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere". The terrorist group released a video it claimed to have received from the Solingen attacker. The editors of "De Zeit" has the recording and specifies that it is not clear from it whether the footage actually shows the detainee Isa Al H. The man in the video is identified only by an Arabic fighting name.
Where was Isa Al H. placed?
The refugee center on Goerdelerstrasse in Solingen is located about 250 meters from Frohnhof Square, where the attack took place. The building is a former tax office, which since mid-2010 has been used to house refugees. In 2015, it had room for up to 200 people, said about "Di Zeit" former manager of the refugee center.
Are there other persons involved in the crime?
On Saturday, the police also arrested another 15-year-old boy. For him, witnesses say that immediately before the attack, he spoke with an unknown person about his intentions to commit a crime, and the description matches the attack in Solingen. This was stated by Markus Kaspers, senior prosecutor in Wuppertal. If confirmed, the teenager could be held liable for failing to notify law enforcement of the planned crime. Under the German Penal Code, this is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine.
According to Herbert Royle, there is another person in custody in connection with the attack in Solingen – a man accommodated in the same refugee center. "The two know each other well. They did many things together - probably also on the day of the crime," said the minister, quoted by "De Zeit".
Emilian Lilov (editor)